We asked New Jersey kids to describe something their parents have rules about. Here’s what they told us, even the ones they don’t mind following.
Does your family have a rule that you MUST follow? Well my family does too. In my family I’m only allowed to play on my device 30 minutes on the weekend (Well each day on the weekend I have 30 minutes) and on weekdays I have no time at all. I can also earn time by doing chores like making my bed or taking out the trash. Also if I get ready for school in 5 minutes I get 15 minutes. I think this rule is pretty fun and it will make me grow up to be healthy.
Kasch Whyte
Grade 4
High Bridge Elementary School
Two things my parents have rules about… One thing my parents have a rule about is no bottle flipping in the house, there are a lot of bad stories about bottle flipping in the house, here are two. Once I threw a bottle of gatorade, it was blue, but I threw it down the hallway and it exploded all over the the black and white carpet! Luckily it came out. Another time I was trying to slam a bottle on the ground and land it, when I did it, it landed and exploded at the same time. The other rule is no jumping on the couch. Because when I was jumping on the couch I made it bend down. Now when somebody sits on the couch they dip into the couch.Those are two rules my parents have.
Tyler Kusznier
Grade 4
High Bridge Elementary School
Do your parents have rules that you hate? Well I certainly do. Here are some rules my parents have that I personally hate! First off is the one where you have to clean up your own mess which I don’t like because kids are supposed to have fun and not clean but chores are chores. Also I hate the rule work before play… I mean really, I just want to play. The last rule I hate is when you have to sleep in your own bed. I hate this rule because if my sister or I feel scared then I will ask if we can come in her room… But she says no. Those are the rules I hate.
Darla Rudnicki
Grade 4
High Bridge Elementary School
Do your parents have tempting rules that you try to follow, but it’s really hard? My parents do. I’m usually nice (according to my friends). But there is one rule I break 24/7! That rule is NO FIGHTING WITH MY BROTHER!It’s hard to get along with him! I beat him up- or at least I try. My brother is much older than me, so he always beats me. We blame each other for starting fights and my parents don’t like it. I will admit that sometimes I’ll throw the first punch, but it’s not all me unlike what my brother says. Don’t get me wrong, we still love each other. So that is why we have this rule.
Madison Silvestri
Grade 4
High Bridge Elementary School
Rules!Rules!Rules ! Do you always have to follow your parents rules? I do. One rule my mom has is no jumping on the couch downstairs because it’s leather so it ruins the couch. One rule my dad has is do my homework or else I get grounded and he takes stuff away from me. One rule my brother has when he comes home from college is let him sleep. My grandma also has a rule to go say hi to her every time I get back from school. I also have my own rule to always do my homework before I play on electronics. Those are my family rules!
Marcus Labib
Grade 4
High Bridge Elementary School
Rules! Rules! Rules! Why do we need rules? Thankfully in my house we have no rules, well, at least I don’t think so. If there are rules then I probably broke them all. We don’t need rules.I want to be free so no rules allowed. I guess there is one rule: we have no rules. I hope we never have rules.
Melanie Rojas
Grade 4
High Bridge Elementary School
One of my parents rules are that we can’t play with balls upstairs. If we do or something happens we will get in a lot of trouble. One day me and my dog we playing with a ball upstairs, it fell and broke a vase or something like that.
Max Freed
Grade 7
Readington Middle School
My parents are really strict about lying. If you lie, you get the spoon! That’s one way I get disciplined.
Alex Takacs
Grade 7
Readington Middle School
Something my parents have rules about is if your food or cups are left out you get punished.
Shalini Varma
Grade 7
Readington Middle School
A rule in my house is the couch in not a jungle gym. Occasionally, my siblings and I will get jumpy and bounce, crawl, stand, and roll on the couch. So my dad comes in and says “The couch isn’t a jungle gym.” and we stop, then start up again without really realizing that we did. Now part of our couch is broken because of it.
Becca Bowser
Grade 7
Readington Middle School
The rule I will be writing about is don’t leave the dinner table until everyone is done eating or you are excused. It is nice to talk to your family ,so we made up this rule and have been using it for years.
Corey Paulson
Grade 7
Readington Middle School
My parents have a lot of rules. One rule that is very important is that my siblings and I put our computers and phones in my mom’s room. We do that so we don’t stay up all night on the internet. She makes sure we put them on her shelf so we don’t sneak them into our rooms. I believe that I am generally pretty good with that rule. On a few occasions I don’t put my phone on her shelf and keep it in my room. I do that because I am texting my friends. However, this is a very important rule in my house.
Greer Westfield
Grade 7
Readington Middle School
A big rule my parents have is that my brother and I have to put our phones downstairs at 9:00 pm. I don’t agree with this but a rule is a rule, and they must be followed.
Andrew Menyhert
Grade 7
Readington Middle School
One of my parents rules is that we need to have our chores and homework done before we are allowed to goof off and have fun.
Andrew Bennett
Grade 7
Readington Middle School
One rule that my mother made that is important is when I get home from school, I have to first let my dog out; his name is Tex. Second, I have to take my shoes off and put them on the shelf where all my shoes go. Third, while Tex is outside doing his business, I have to hang my backpack up on a huge hanger; it looks like a tiny giraffe. Fourth, I have to take out all the things that I did not eat in my lunch box. Then I let Tex in and feed him. Sixth, I hang my coat in my room. Last I can help my mom cook dinner or call my friends. Those are the most important rules that I have.
Meghan Sebeth
Grade 4
Milford Public School
One rule my parents have is not a good rule. Let’s say you leave your coat on the chair: you have to write. You have to write “I will clean up after myself” 62 times. It takes up all my time. I don’t like to. It’s annoying. Don’t tell my mom.
Avery Schaefer
Grade 4
Milford Public School
A rule that my parents have is how I have to put my toys away. If I do not put my toys away I have to clean them up or they get taken for a while – not that long, though. Another rule is no iPad til 8:00. Next is to do my homework either at my babysitter’s or right when I get home. Last is no sleepovers when I have school the next morning. But of course like everyone else, I have to do what they say. Those are the rules I follow.
Gianna Kempf
Grade 4
Milford Public School
My parents have rules about video games. Their rule is no video games during the week. One reason is they don’t want us to get addicted and have us play all day. Also, they want us to finish our homework and play outside with our friends. Lastly, my parents really do think my brain will rot if I play. Now you see why I am not allowed to play video games during the week.
Connor Stager
Grade 4
Copper Hill School
There are many things my parents have rules about, but these are the important ones. The first important one is that you cannot lie. When my dad asks me if I did something important he always says, ”If you did not do it, don’t say I did it. Tell the truth.” My parents sometimes get mad if you lie. But not always. Secondly, you have to clean up after yourself. My mom cares about that rule because if we don’t clean it is going be massy and that means that she has to clean it. But now, my brother, sister, and I are big, and my mom sometimes just calls us to clean our mass. We have that rule because all of us want to have a clean house. Thirdly, my parents have a rule about always flipping your laundry inside out before putting it into the laundry bag. This is because if you don’t flip the clothes, the clothes won’t get that clean. Last, but not least, always ask before going outside. You need to tell your parents because if you don’t, you will make your family or friends worry. Also, it will not be safe. Maybe you will get lost, and if you don’t have your phone, you can’t have contact with your friends and family. And that is horrible. You will be in very big trouble
I hope you follow your parents’ rules.
Anna Abajyan
Grade 4
Copper Hill School
One rule is no feet on the table because Mommy and Daddy will be mad at you because that’s where we eat.
Rebecca Mason
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
No fighting.
Liam Byrnes
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Cleaning my room.
Tyler Busch
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Don’t wear shoes in the house. Every weekend we clean the toy room. Use good manners when our friends come over and when we go to their house.
Amy McCool
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Be kind, be respectful, listen, clean up. These are the rules at my house.
Connor McQuilken
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
No eating or drinking upstairs, no jumping on the bed, no shoes inside and wash our hands before eating. Sianna Sickles
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
My parents have rules about: bed, cleaning, electronics, respect, tooth care, following directions, and not fighting with my brother.
Olivia Olawski
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
My parents have rules about doing my homework. I have to do my homework before I play or watch TV.
Jack Kappus
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Listening to the rules in the house. No hitting.
Evelyn Ayd
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Cleaning up my toys. Eating my dinner.
Nicholas Casanovas
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
My parents say to take care of your things.
Cody Dreher
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
One rule is we cannot be mean to each other.
Laila Hesser
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Don’t go into the kitchen because it’s under construction for a very long time, way past dinner time.
Alexa Pecora
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
My parents don’t like secrets. They only like surprises.
Kara Meier
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Don’t be too loud. Don’t have your volume up too loud. No yelling – like AAAHHH! Quiet is not loud. Usually use your inside voice. If you are outside you can use your outside voice, unless a baby is outside sleeping. Then the baby would cry.
Olivia Hall
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
No hitting. Be nice to my friends. Fingers out of mouth.
Liam Schneider
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
No jumping on the couch.
Megan Olivo
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Do not touch the hot pot.
Cole Brown
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
My parents say no running in the house, no balls in the house, and no jumping on the bed.
Molly Holmes
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Sometimes to be silly and sometimes not to. Take care of your dogs. To eat and getting in the shower. To not have an attitude at your mom.
Levi Thompson
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Do not touch the oven. Do not fight. Do not pick with your sister. Do not touch art they made for us. Do not touch the vases.
Laura Rinehart
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Buckle up is an important rule. And listening too!
Emmanuel Fortino
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
When the stove is on do not touch inside. Do not touch the metal bars.
Violet Attanasio
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
We are not to scream, hit, or punch.
Christel Rechen
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
My parents say no video games during the week.
Sophia DiLanno
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
My parents have a rule to only have two pets because three pets will destroy the house.
Hayden Huson
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
No drinking in the car! I have to eat in the dining room. Also to clean up my room…duh…like everyone…well not all.
Abigail Jenkin
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
No climbing the house. No talking with mouth full. No climbing on the roof. Sit down when you are eating. No hitting, no kicking, no pulling hair. No pulling dog’s fur.
Khloe Koetters
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Don’t fight with William. Do homework after school. Clean up after playing.
Claire Jun
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Don’t say bad words.
Cole Ross
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
I respect our home. We take off shoes. We clean up mess. I put away toys after play.
Alex Dobrianski-Annenko
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Dad’s rule is no whining. Mom’s rule is be kind.
Emily LaBrutto
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
The number one rule in our house is to think of others first and no potty talk.
Nolan Smith
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
No watching TV when eating.
Ilse Fischer
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Bed is at 7. I brush my teeth and hair.
Gabriella Combs
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
Be gentle and kind.
Isabella Shallo
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
We have a rule that we have to be in bed by 7:00.
Caitlin Passafaro
Kindergarten
Spruce Run School
My parents have rules of no lying no matter what. At home our rules are no hitting, no yelling, no jumping, no running and no kicking.
Adrian Angeles
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
No throwing stuff. No hitting or else you will go in time out.
Layla Sickles
First Grade
Spruce Run School
Not fighting.
Luke Rechen
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
I don’t have to watch TV more than an hour.
Joel Franco
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
No jumping on the couch.
Alex Gartrell
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
Not going near the road. Don’t eat peanuts when you’re by yourself.
Hannah Spitzlei
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
My mom and dad have rules about everything. I only get to play the Wii U for 30 minutes on the weekend. Evan Schmidt
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
No eating with your mouth open. Eat only at the table. No shoes on the carpet. Help others. Help do the chores. Do music. Buckle up in car.
Susanna Hoffman
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
Nothing really but we’re not allowed to be on the computer too long.
Beverly Veliz
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
I need to finish my homework before I play. Then I will play.
Jillian Passafaro
Grade 1
Spruce Run School
A rule my parents are telling me and my brothers all the time is to pick up dirty clothes off of the bathroom floor after you take a shower. They say that because if you don’t pick up those clothes, it will either 1. Look like a trainwreck, or 2. Smell like dirty clothes, or both. That is only one of the rules in my house, though!
Emmy Beard
Grade 4
Califon School
They have rules about jumping on the couch. They say if you break the couch you have to buy it.
Finley Bruton
Grade 4
Califon School
My parents have a rule about clearing your plate after you eat. If my sister or I forget to clear our plate my dad says, “Have you forgotten the golden rule?”
Fiona Cusack
Grade 4
Califon School
My parents have a rule of no jumping on the bed. The reason why we have this rule is because one time by brother was flopping on my bed and one of the wooden beams broke. So that’s why we have this rule so the bed doesn’t brake.
Kate Firko
Grade 4
Califon School
My parents have rules about traveling to hang out with my friends. I need to let the know where I am going at all times.
Aidan Fitzpatrick-O’Neill
Grade 4
Califon School
My parents have rules about phones. My parents don’t want me and my brother to have one until “we need one.” Which is apparently is not soon. I do agree when they say phones are addictive. I mean, it’s not that I don’t like the rule although it would be nice to have one.
Ava Keiser
Grade 4
Califon School
I have rules that I’m not allowed to say bad words to my mom or any family members or friends, not allowed to play video games after 9:30, I have to go to bed in the middle of 9:30 to 10ish, I have to do my homework, I have to brush my teeth, and I have to take showers.
Landon Sacro
Grade 4
Califon School
My parents don’t let my brother and I watch TV or play video games on a school day.
Daniel Van Elkan
Grade 4
Califon School
There are many reasons why my parents have rules about not talking to a stranger. The first reason is you do not know them. Next, it is so dangerous because you do not know if they’re bad or good. Then, it is not safe for you because you just do not know them. Finally, I never know what a stranger can do to me. It feels great that my family is always looking out for me.
Gerald Cordero
Grade 4
Copper Hill School
My parents have a rule not to play gun games even though I am old enough to play them. I think they have this rule in place to keep us safe. I think this is not such a good rule. Many kids know the difference about game violence and the real world, even my little 5 year old brother even knows the difference about it! Plus, my dad buys gun games and says not to play it, which is a waste of money. He is not even following his own rule. This rule is really boring because only my older brother can play gun games which is unfair. My older and little brother got to play a gun game on my Xbox 360!
Christopher Luengas
Grade 4
East Amwell Township School
My Mom has rules for taking a shower every other day. I take one on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and then my whole routine starts all over again. I think the rule is fair and okay, but the truth is that I do not like showers at all!!!!!!!!!. I do not know why I don’t like them. Just one fact is whenever I go in the shower I never want to come out.
Another rule that my mom has for me is to clean my room every week on Saturday. And I think it is totally unfair because Saturday is most people’s relaxing day. Doing work is wasting my tablet time, my best friend time, and my sleeping time which is no good for me. And one more thing is that I don’t have to worry about going to school the next morning.
Finally, my Mom has one more rule that I really care about and that is going to bed at a certain time. Yes, it is good for your body to get some sleep, but my mom makes me go to sleep at 8:00 to 8:30. That may seem fair to you, but not to me because I think that is too early.
Now you see that my mom has some good and some bad rules. What’s your opinion?
Kirsten Murphy
Grade 4
East Amwell Township Schoo
My mom comes up with the craziest rules. One of my mom’s rules is that we go to bed at 8:30. I am pretty sure she does this because she thinks that I need beauty sleep. In my opinion, I do not really think that I need beauty sleep. I do not think that this is a good rule because sometimes I just want to relax and watch Netflix at 8:00 at night. Can’t a 10 year old do that?
Another rule of hers is that we have to do chores like do the dishes and do the laundry. I also have to make my bed in the morning when I wake up. Sometimes I wake up late, but my mom still expects me to make my bed. I do not think that these are good rules because well . . . we don’t get paid for it!
Tierney Rzasa
Grade 4
East Amwell Township School
My parents have rules about keeping my room clean. I vacuum and dust them on Fridays or Saturdays. I clean up my dolls, my desk, my Legos, and sometimes I have to clean out my art folder. I think my parents have these rules so I don’t harm myself or have my room be grimy. I think this is a good rule. I think this because it hurts stepping on a Lego, stumbling over a Barbie, and landing on a bunch of Polly Pockets and their camper. Also, if I didn’t clean my desk, I might have had a wet paint project. If I went to reach my alarm clock, I might get paint on my hand. If I didn’t clean out my art folder, it would be overflowing with papers from who knows when! Finally, if I didn’t vacuum, I might step on paper scraps from projects and string from clothes.
Caelyn Bartley
Grade 4
East Amwell Township School
My parents have a rule that every week we need to clean our whole house. I think that it is a good rule because sometimes our house can get very dirty. It is a good rule because I do not want to live in a dirty house.
Another rule my parents have is that if you are under 10, you only get your iPod on the weekends. I think it is ok because if you go on your electronics, sometimes you think you can play on it everyday and do nothing but that. My mom does take away our iPods if we go on it too much. She does this with my older siblings too.
Mitchell Niva
Grade 4
East Amwell Township School
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
